Books for Beginners?

Can sangat suggest some Gurmat related books for people learning about Sikhi or getting into Sikhi.

Personally I think everyone should read Bhai Gurdas Jis books, Bhai Nand Singh Jis books and Bhai Randhir Singh Jis books. Along with these books would others books would sangat reccommend? I am planning to give the books to a local Gurdwara Sahib which some members have taken a steady interest in Sikhi. Suggestions would be helpful.
Thanks

All the books by Surinder Singh Kohli are good and according to Gurmat. They are in English and easy for beginners to understand.

Vaheguru Ji Ka Khalsa,
Vaheguru Ji Ki Fateh,
[www.bsrstrust.org]
Vaheguru Ji Ka Khalsa,
Vaheguru Ji Ki Fateh,

I personally would reserve the above three authors (Bhai Gurdass, Bhai Nand Lal, Bhai Randhir Singh) for later stages when a person is well familiar with Sikhism. For the introductory stage I think books on lives of Gurus and Sikhs are more appropriate. Bhai Vir Singh ji's are best for this purpose in my view, namely Guru Nanak Chamatkar, Asht Guru Chamatkar and Kalgidhar Chamatkar.

Thanks for the many suggestions. I completely forgot about Bhai Surinder SIngh. His books are excellent for starters.

I dont want to encourage Asht Guru Chamatkar because the author states Guru Ji eats meat and also supports Raag Mala. The people at the local Gurdwara are already far from Gurmat and many of them eat. I dont want to give them literature which will break this habit not support it.

I remember Talwara Ji wrote a good book on the subject. Does anybody remember the title. Can sangat suggest more books. The plan it to make a Gurmat library for the Gurdwara. The library will start with around 20-30 books and expand depending on interest of sangat. So I would appreciate it if people would advise more books. Currently I have around 9-10 books in mind so please suggest some more. The goal is to encourage all ages tp read and learn about Sikhi.

The book by Talwara jee on meat is titled "Tao Kyun Murgi Maarai?" in Punjabi. The book's translated version is known as "Why Kill a Chicken?"

Sukhdeep Singh Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Thanks for the many suggestions. I completely
> forgot about Bhai Surinder SIngh. His books are
> excellent for starters.

I don't know who Surinder Singh Kohli is, but his books are a treasure of Gurmat Sikhya. They are easy for beginners to understand and in English too. Does anyone know if Surinder Singh Kohli has a website from where one can buy his books?

Quote

The book by Talwara jee on meat is titled "Tao Kyun Murgi Maarai?" in Punjabi. The book's translated version is known as "Why Kill a Chicken?"

Thanks for proving the titles Jaspreet SIngh Jeeo.

Anybody know anymore good books. There has to be some more good books out there which encourage GUrmat.

rsinghji,
I would like to humbly suggest that one should only turn to Gurbani, to know the source of Truth/ Gurmat Sikhya?
Learn from the Teacher/ Guru, rather than the student, then a beginner will never falter...which I am sure the best student thus far; Bhai Sahib Bhai Randhir Singh Ji would say, with humble determination!
Bhul chuk muaf
Waheguru Ji Ka Khalsa,
Waheguru Ji Ki Fateh

ks jee, I agree with you. But for beginners who have zero knowledge about Sikhi, books written by Gianis, learned people are a good source of knowledge. It all depends on ones avasthaa. Some people learn more from Katha, some from books and some directly from Gurbani. From the books I have read of Surinder Singh Kohli, he writes very systematically about a topic and shows all the Gurbani Tukhs explaining the topic.

Another good source is prof Sahib Singh Jee's books. He has also written small books on various topics. Good for beginners.

Of course, Bhai Sahib Randhir Singh Jee's books are the best. They are written by a bramgiani. If one were to do a deep study of his books their grasp of Sikhi would be greatly advanced. I have not had the good fortune of studying his books yet.

Sukhdeep Singh Wrote:
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> I dont want to encourage Asht Guru Chamatkar
> because the author states Guru Ji eats meat and
> also supports Raag Mala.

I have heard a lot of misgivings about Bhai Vir Singh online and about these two I am not sure about either. I read these books almost 20 years ago so I cannot recall very accurately but I don't think Bhai Vir write in favour of meat eating anywhere. And same for Raagmala too.

In any case let me assure you from personal experience that effect of Bhai Vir Singh's writing was nothing short of heavenly touch on the heart. I have NEVER had any doubt that Bhai Vir Singh was a gurmukh of a high state and he was humble down to his core. His poetry itself is a witness to his love filled heart and what a heart it was!

Of course from literary point of view Prof Puran Singh surpassed him in flow and sweep, yet Prof Puran regarded him as a very high state gurmukh. It was due to direct and personal influence of Bhai Vir Singh ji that Prof Puran Singh came back to Sikhism. I may mention here that according to what I have read (I can't recall where I read it), Bhai Randhir Singh ji regarded Prof Puran Singh ji as a very flowered soul.

In short I cannot imagine, not even if I tried, that anyone who read and was emotionally touched by Bhai Vir Singh could ever become any less in his Sikhi owing to his writings. Bhai Vir Singh is a very precious jewel in modern Sikhi Kosh and it would be a grave mistake to think that he is a bad influence.
Of course too much is lost in translation and to get a true taste of Bhai Vir Singh's charisma one needs to read it in Panjabi (not the translated English).

im sure bhai vir singh had many good qualities in fact a million qualities more then this worm,but i know for sure that in the book you recommended he does support rag mala despite being against it in the past, and in at least one sakhi he says sri guru ji ate meat. i cannot support any litearture which supports raag mala or any other non gurmat related info. bhai sahib has done many good works for the panth and i have nothing against him. i just one to donate pro gurmat books.

mystical23 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> ....
> In any case let me assure you from personal
> experience that effect of Bhai Vir Singh's writing
> was nothing short of heavenly touch on the heart.
> I have NEVER had any doubt that Bhai Vir Singh was
> a gurmukh of a high state and he was humble down
> to his core. His poetry itself is a witness to his
> love filled heart and what a heart it was!
...


I would like to second this. In fact I had a good fortune of reading some of Bhai Sahib Vir Singh Ji's books - Sri Guru Nanak Chamatkar and Sri Guru Dashmesh Chamatkar in English, translated by some one called Sri Mongia. It was a very nice translation. The effect was very humble and motivating, and I was left thirsting for more...The incidents are related in the first-person manner, and one gets transported to the scene being described.
Those who haven't yet read these books, do try and read them. They are a gem! Pls note that I also can't recall reading anything that supports meat eating in these books!

Sukhdeep Singh Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> im sure bhai vir singh had many good qualities in
> fact a million qualities more then this worm,but i
> know for sure that in the book you recommended he
> does support rag mala despite being against it in
> the past, and in at least one sakhi he says sri
> guru ji ate meat.

Maybe its because of the immense respect I have for Bhaiv Vir Singh, but I can smell something wrong here. A suspicion is arising in me that maybe this meat-eating sakhi and raagmala things were not present in his books which I have in my home library and that they were added later on. I should like to find this out for myself. Whenever I visit my home back in India now I shall dig up the old books and scan them.

There have been many a treacherous games played against the Sikhs by the negative forces. I suspect a similar thing in this.

There are very few writers out there who write Tat-Gurmat and whose work you can trust with closed eyes but most of the historians and theologians have written objectionable material and we as Gursikhs have to separate out Manmat from these writings and take the Gurmat aspect of it. Which old historical text or even Rehitnamas are free of doctoring and Manmat material? Most Rehitname and historical texts like Sooraj Prakash, Pracheen Panth Prakash, Panth Prakash and modern days books of Dr Ganda Singh, Principal Satbir Singh, etc. all contain some errors and Manmat but this does not mean that we should not read them.

As for pro-Raagmala material, even books and Katha of Sant Gurbachan Singh Bhindranwale contain such material but we can't afford to not read them because they also contain much Gurmat related material. Same way, Bhai Vir Singh jee's books are full of Gurmat and the errors like Veer Sukhdeep Singh has pointed out, have to be ignored by the reader. These Saakhis of meat in Langar have been taken from Sooraj Prakash and it would have been good if Bhai Vir Singh had filtered out such Manmati material but what's done is done. It does not change the fact that Bhai Vir Singh is the 6th river of Punjab.

Kulbir Singh

Bhai Kulbir Singh Jeeo,


No doubt we should continue reading books by Gursikhs such as Kavi Santokh singh Ji, Bhai VIr Singh Ji , Bhai Kahn Singh Ji etc even if they have manmat material. Those of us who are Amrit Dhari and can distinguish between Gurmat and Manmat then such material will have no negative effect, but for beginners in Sikhi I dont think its a wise decision to propagate such literature.

I find some books of Dr. Santokh singh of Institute of Spiritual studies,Ontario, Canada, very illuminating. These are in English and reasonably priced if one is not an Indian as these are priced in Dollars.Some of the titles are:
1.Philosophical foundations of sikh value system.
2.Fundamentals of Sikhism.
3.Illustrated sikh History.
4.Shabad keertan.
5.The only options for sikhs.
..
..15
Books in Punjabi..

1. Tarap tay Milap.
2. Wahayguru Gurumantar atay Jap Jugtee.

He has done a small book on " Man ought not eat meat.". An illuminating work .He seems to be an independent thinker and philosopher and his style of writing is plain and lucid.The complete address is as follows:

Institute of spiritual studies
290, Maple Avenue North
R.R.I Princeton, Ontario
Canada N0 1 V0
(519) 458-4605

A book as 'BANDGAEENAMAA" by Ranbir ji is also worth reading for the beginners.
This book creates an interest in continuing reading of Gurbanee.
I have personally been connected to Gurbanee after going thru this Book..

There are several Books written by very learned scholars.One should read as many books as one can
because every book has something to give you .

One should always take the guidance from such scholarly works but ones own efforts in grasping the
essence of these contribution in an analytical way thru the grace of Guru is must which is the ultimate
treasure of ones own.understanding of Gurbanee.

bhul chuk maaf

Daas

Prakash.S.Bagga